Civitas Outlook
Topic
Pursuit of Happiness
Published on
August 10, 2026
Contributors
Charles C.W. Cooke
Richard Epstein
Episode 17
The Libertarian

Zeus’s Law: What The Odyssey Gets Right—and Wrong

About this episode

Richard Epstein and Charles C. W. Cooke discuss Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey—its departures from Homer, its moral themes, and its spectacular scale. They also explore aesthetics, virtue, Greek and Roman law, and the relationship between ordinary moral intuition and formal legal reasoning.

All other episodes on

The Libertarian

The Slippery Slope of Social Media Liability

The conversation ranges from contributory liability and First Amendment concerns to the deeper question: who is responsible when harm flows through a network?

EP
Mar 28, 2026

The Half-War

Richard Epstein examines the unfolding U.S. confrontation with Iran through both a strategic and constitutional lens, arguing that President Trump’s approach reflects a deeper tension between military necessity and political constraint.

EP
Apr 11, 2026

A Turning Point For Section 2: SCOTUS Reins in the Voting Rights Act

Charles C. W. Cooke and Richard Epstein break down the Supreme Court’s latest Voting Rights Act decision, examining the ruling in 'Louisiana v. Callais.'

EP
Apr 29, 2026

When Trump Sued Himself: The $1.776 billion Slush Fund

EP
May 29, 2026

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More on

Pursuit of Happiness

The Rise of Latino America

In The Rise of Latino America, Hernandez & Kotkin argue that Latinos, who are projected to become America’s largest ethnic group, are a dynamic force shaping the nation’s demographic, economic, and cultural future. Far from being a marginalized group defined by oppression, Latinos are integral to America’s story. They drive economic growth, cultural evolution, and workforce vitality. Challenges, however, including poverty, educational disparities, and restrictive policies, threaten their upward mobility. Policymakers who wish to harness Latino potential to ensure national prosperity and resilience should adopt policies that prioritize affordability, safety, and economic opportunity over ideological constraints.

Joel Kotkin, Jennifer Hernandez, Wendell Cox, Marshall Toplansky, Erika Ozuna
Pursuit of Happiness
Nov 10, 2025
Revival: Americans Heading Back to the Hinterlands

Smaller communities throughout the country are poised to play an outsize role in forging our future.

Joel Kotkin, Wendell Cox
Pursuit of Happiness
Sep 19, 2025
How to Save Our Urban Centers

What will the future of American cities look like?

Joel Kotkin
Pursuit of Happiness
Jun 26, 2025
National Poll from Civitas Institute: Americans Concerned About AI, Economic Issues

The Civitas Institute Poll, conducted from March 11-20, 2025, asked 1,200 Americans an array of questions about how things are going in the country.

Daron Shaw
Pursuit of Happiness
Jun 11, 2025
Scientists Who Believe in God are Challenging the Expert Atheist Establishment

There is a growing view that a creator may be behind major discoveries being made in science.

Joel Kotkin
Pursuit of Happiness
Jul 26, 2026
Natural Right on Horseback

Richard M. Reinsch II
Pursuit of Happiness
Jul 17, 2026
The Founders and the Common Good

Vincent Phillip Muñoz
Pursuit of Happiness
Jul 13, 2026
Tocqueville Deserves a Washington Statue

Jonathan Hartley
Pursuit of Happiness
Jul 7, 2026
Peter Robinson Unbridled - A Civitas Institute Podcast

Peter Robinson Unbridled

A new show and podcast bringing the energy of Austin to wide-ranging conversations on politics, economics, education, and culture.

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What Was the Founders' Design for National Security Beyond the Battlefield?

Pursuit of Happiness
Jul 31, 2026
1:05

Constitutional Experts Expose the Untold Truth Behind Deep Political Division

Pursuit of Happiness
Jun 29, 2026
1:05

AEI’s “America at 250” Summer Series: We Hold These Truths

Pursuit of Happiness
Jun 22, 2026
1:05

Robert George and Cornel West - Truth Matters, A Book Talk

Pursuit of Happiness
Sep 26, 2025
1:05

Arthur Brooks on the Secret to a Fulfilling Life

Pursuit of Happiness
Jul 7, 2025
1:05
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When the Spice Stops Flowing

'Dune' and the Politics of Strategic Chokepoints.

Leonidas Zelmanovitz
Pursuit of Happiness
Aug 11, 2026
Spielberg’s Empty Hope

'Disclosure Day' should have been called 'Hope and Change,' or rather 'Change and Hope.‍'

Titus Techera
Pursuit of Happiness
Jul 10, 2026
Deliberative Republicanism and the Triumph of the American Founding

Instead of rejecting the moral urgency of the postliberal right and left, it is fitting and proper that we redirect it through the right kind of education—both formal and informal—that can inspire affection for our Constitution.

Michael Lucchese
Pursuit of Happiness
Jul 9, 2026
The Declaration Is a Metaphysical and Political Triumph

It is the nature of genuinely lasting great texts that we observe new things in them that fit our moment.

Brian Smith
Pursuit of Happiness
Jun 17, 2026
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